Artificial Infatuation
by Liu Wei
Summary: Before he was the 'perverted teacher', he was a student. Drabbles, Narumi centered
1. Drabble 1

This will be a series of drabbles concentrating on a single character and the possibility of what he could have been as a student in the Academy. Some elements are part of the history of the character I roleplay at a Gakuen Alice site (mentioned in my profile).

And...I'm too lazy to think up separate titles for each one, so I just named the series.

The usual disclaimers apply.

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_Now, I know why they smiled at me, why they were always so kind, and why I could do no wrong. They loved me because of my power. But I wonder…why did my own parents not love me?_

A faint knock on the door preceded the entrance of a little blonde boy.

"That boy…who brought him here?"

"Who? Oh…him?" The old woman turned to where one of the visitors was pointing. "We don't know. He was left at out door three years ago. We figured he must be foreign, but we gave him a Japanese name."

"Is anybody taking him? We want him."

"Take him? Well…no one, but…you see…" The boy approached her and tugged at her sleeve.

"Ms. Satoko, who are they?"

The woman turned away from the two men for a while and smiled at him. "They're visitors from Tokyo, dearie, here to see the orphanage."

One of the visitors spoke again. "We'll take him off your hands."

"Oh…I can't give him to you. He's special, you see…"

"He's more special than you think." the man added. "We can take better care of him."

"But he's not up for adoption…"

"We will pay for him." The man cut off coldly. "We can repair the whole orphanage, even support you. Name you price."

The boy blinked and stared at the strangers, holding on to the old woman's arm.

"I really have to think about it."

"We'll pay in cash today if you give him with no fuss."

The old woman stared and fell silent, and then glanced at the boy.

"I…alright."


	2. Drabble 2

_At night, I hear some of the other kids crying for their parents, bawling that they miss them. I guess I should consider myself lucky. I don't know my own parents. I don't have anyone to miss._

"Hey."

The little girl beside him was a new student, probably dragged from another rural part of Japan.

"Hey…"

The blonde continued to ignore her and fixed his eyes on his comic. In front of the class, the teacher droned on and on.

"You should at least glance at me. I'm your partner, after all."

The boy did just that, seeing her for the first time since she entered the room. She had hazel hair and dark brown eyes, and her small lips were in a pout. After that brief glance, he went back to reading.

"Hey!"

Silence.

"Well, if you won't talk, I will. My name's Azumi and I come from Hokkaido. My parents' names are Kanezuka Junichi and Mayumi. I like chocolate and bunnies and-"

"You talk too much."

"If you tell me you name, I'll shut up for today."

"…you swear?"

"Yes!"

"Naru."

"Huh?"

"My name. It's Naru."

"Nice to meet you, Naru!"

"You talked again."


	3. Drabble 3

_My alice isn't the dangerous sort, nor is it completely useless. Some people find it awesome. But I still hate it. It gives me the shivers. Whenever I have to use it, I want to hurl. I'm not overreacting. Do you have any idea what it's like to have a power like mine? Heh. Didn't think so._

Fists at his side, he growled, "I-won't-do-it."

"Come on, Naru. Just for today, we promise." the hazel-haired girl cajoled, placing her hands together. "Please? You don't want to take the quiz either, right?"

Naru's eyes narrowed, and then he closed them and tsked.

"Just this once. Never again, you hear me?"

"Never again." Azumi promised, holding up a hand.

The boy turned from her sharply and walked briskly along the hall to meet their teacher.

"Sensei."

"Yes, Narumi?"

"That quiz today…do we really have to take it?"

"Of course."

"But sensei…" Naru pouted, fluttering his eyes. "_…I don't want to take the test."_

"Well..."

"_It's really hard, and none of us understood the lesson. Couldn't you just postpone it instead?"_

"I…"

"_And cancel the class today? I would really appreciate that, sensei_."

"Really?"

"_Of course! You're my favorite teacher. So smart and kind_…"

"Oh, that's…you really mean that?"

"_Yes_."

"Well, okay."

"_Okay, no test today_?"

"Okay, no test today."

"_And you'll go back to the faculty room now_?"

"Yes."

His teacher walked away dreamily, and Naru heard stifled laughter behind him.

"You looked so pretty and flirty, Naru-chan!"

"Shut up."


	4. Drabble 4

_People say I have a face that compliments my alice. I say I've been cursed. Seriously. Kami-sama hates me._

"Not another one," he sighed, tucking the disgusting note into his pocket. Pink and scented. He should have known what it was the moment he saw it lying on his desk. Better get it over with, then.

The blonde teen walked with purpose to the greenhouse and leaned back on one of the plant nursery's walls. A moment later, someone arrived.

"Hey."

"Hey."

"…"

"Wait…you're not here to meet me, are you?"

Naru stared at the other teen.

"Actually…actually, I am."

The blonde's jaw dropped, and he moved away from the wall. He'd planned on refusing his admirer, maybe making it as painless as possible, but this…

"You sent me those notes?"

A nod.

"And those stolen shots of me?"

Another nod.

"…"

"I know it sounds weird, but I can't help it. I really seem to like you."

"…you DO know I'm a guy, right?"

"Yeah." A blush.

"…and you DO know my alice doesn't pick genders?"

"…yes."

"Has it ever occurred to you that my alice could have caused it?"

"…"

"There you go. Just…leave. I—we—will never speak of this again."

"O-okay…"

Naru flopped down on the grass and let out a long sigh as he thumbed his ear to check something. Since when was one of his ability limiters gone?


	5. Drabble 5

_When everyone likes you just because of your alice, it's a big relief to have someone unaffected by any of your powers, someone who likes you for who you are._

"Ahehehe..."

The blonde glared at the boy beside him, and the redhead fell silent and put on a serious face.

"It's not so bad, Naru..."

"Easy for you to say. You like this stuff."

'This stuff' was a large sign overhead saying, 'Kissing Booth' and both boys sitting behind a booth as their female friend screamed their names and the words 'make out' through a megaphone.

"Lively, isn't she?"

"She's crazy, Rio, not lively."

"Hehe."

"It's not funny." Naru crossed his arms. "She's making money out of our alices."

"I can't think of any other use for our alices, really."

"Hmph."

"Or are you peeved because Azumi won't join the line?"

"Don't be silly." Before Rio could reply, a girl came up in front of the booth, a large, pink ticket in hand. "You have a customer," Naru smirked.


	6. Drabble 6

**Author's notes**: I realized I made some wrong assumptions about Naru's friends in the Academy. Narumi calls Azumi 'Yuka', and she's supposed to be older than him. Haha. Also, Rio/Ryo's supposed to be a few years younger. Ah, well. Imma continue this way anyway. Sorry for the late update.

So here's number six in the drabble series, 156-words.

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_There are some people you just don't like the minute you see them. But then again, first impressions aren't always correct._

"Ne, ne, Naru-kun"

As always, she was hard to ignore. Why not? She was shaking his shoulders while he was trying to read.

"What?" the blonde snapped, closing his comic.

"Have you seen the new student?"

He had. Automatically, his eyes flitted to the boy in front, who was busy placing a pot on his desk. As if feeling Naru's eyes on him, he turned and met the blonde's piercing gaze with his blank stare.

"No." Narumi answered with sarcasm.

"But he's so cooool!"

"Tch. You've just met him."

"But he is! His alice involves plants, and I've seen that flower of his move and-"

"Stay away from him, Azumi." He cut her off.

His friend blinked at him. "Why?"

"I don't like his eyes."

"Eh?"

"Tch. Never mind." And he went back to reading.


	7. Drabble 7

_Know what, scratch my last comment. First impressions are ALWAYS correct. That creepy little…What is WITH that stare of his, anyway?_

Not many people knew it, but Naru liked flowers. Well, not many flowers, just one specific flower. Chrysanthemum. It was because they said back at the orphanage that when they found him, he had a Chrysanthemum bud in his hand. They figured it might be from his parents, probably his mother.

So, in a way, that flower reminded him that he once had a mother. Once in a while, he would visit the greenhouse to see one. He wouldn't let anyone see him, of course.

"You're not supposed to be here."

The blonde jumped, turning abruptly to see who had spoken.

It was that new kid…Shiki, as he remembered. Misaki Shiki. The other boy was holding a watering can.

"And why is that?" Naru answered, more savagely than he intended. That stare gave him the creeps, like Misaki knew exactly why Naru had come and how emotional he could be around a specific flower.

Misaki didn't smile or anything, though. He just stared.

"Because, only authorized people are allowed here."

"And you are one of those?" The blonde had calmed himself a bit, although he was wondering if Misaki saw him staring at the Chrysanthemums. If word got out he was getting soft…

"Yes."

"Hmph."

Naru shoved his hands into his pockets and walked away, not taking the pebble-lined path.

"Don't walk on the grass." He heard the dark-haired boy call behind him.

Naru ignored him and continued walking. "Because you said so?"

"No, because they-"

There was a yell and then a thud. A second later, Naru was lying on his stomach.

"…trip people."

A faint giggling could be heard as the grass wiggled.

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You'd probably noticed by now how short Narumi's 'thoughts' (italics at the beginning) are becoming. It just shows I'm getting lazy. Haha.


End file.
